::Fire on Ice Links::
Short Track Speedskating
Apolo Anton Ohno
2002-2003 ST Season
Short Track in Pictures
ST in Action!
Skater Bios
Speed Links
Figure Skating
Rach's Introduction to FS
2002-2003 FS Season
Figure Skating Pics
Skater Bios
Great Places To Visit!
Rach the Skater
Who the Heck is Rach?
I am Rach, Therefore I Skate
My ST Diary
Rach Skating Pics
My Season
My Personal Links
::Apolo Links::
©2003 Rach Yestrebi
How Has Apolo Touched Lives?
Skating through injury. Countless comebacks. Dignified sportsmanship, in victory and defeat. Endless passion and love for his sport. These are just a few of the many good qualities present in Apolo. Qualities that, at least to me, are extremely inspirational. Qualities that set the exceptional apart from the rest. Here is the story of how someone I've never met has come to be one of the most influential people in my life, as well as others' accounts of how Apolo inspired them to improve. Does he inspire you, too?
Vital Stats
A Brief Bio
Accomplishments to Date
Inspiration
Apolo in Action
Apolo's Schedule
Interview Transcripts
Fan Sites
"I had to look inward, find my strength, heal, and come back more powerful that before."
"Hunger is everything. It has made me perform under the most extreme circumstances and despite all the pain because above all, I want to be a champion. Hunger...is everything"
"Give 110%, always."
"...I come back stronger than anybody else"
"I honestly don't know what battles I'm going to face next, only that I have the spirit and the will to fight for my sport and what I believe is right. I'll give 110% and still dig down deeper for more."
"Okay, then, I want you to make me a machine. I want to be the best ever. Make me a machine."
"I'm confident with myself that I'll be able to perform. I wouldn't be here training if I didn't think I could get there"
'I want to be a champion. I want to say I am a champion in this sport. A
champion doesn't mean I'm going to win all the time, but it definitely means I'm
going to be there, day in and day out, giving my all, sacrificing, those kinds
of things.''
.
"When I lose,
I get down on myself and never blame the condition of the ice or other skaters.
I always blame things that were in my control, even though about half of short
track isn't actually controllable. Though I'm too tough on myself sometimes, I
really learn from my mistakes. I love to compete- every minute of it, from the
disappointments to the successes."
.
"...I have something to say about life's
dreams, challenges, and the rewards of the journey. It's not about winning or
losing, it's about continuing to play the game, even when you're so broken down
it feels like its impossible. Don't get mad, don't get even, get stronger,
faster, and more powerful. Fill yourself with knowledge and empathy and an
indomitable spirit, because no one else can do that for you. In the end it's
your life, your choice, and your world. Give 110 percent, always."
.
"...you lose a lot more than you win as a competitive athlete and in life. That's how you learn, and if you don't lose, you'll never really win...guaranteed."
"In early 2001, a second and much more serious injury threatened to take me away from my sport. With only seven months before the U.S. Olympic trials, I needed three months of intensive rehab...I couldn't skate...I refused to give up. Four months before the games I started to train hard again. Agonising muscle spasms ripped through my back and forced me off the ice at first, but with each day, I improved. When I made it to Olympic Trials, I was thrilled by how far I had come. When I qualified to skate in...the Games...I felt like I'd reached the top of the mountain. I had given 110% to get there and was euphoric."
"I could recover in time for the exhibitions. No one believed me. By Saturday, I still had trouble walking. I got out on the ice anyway, and while other skaters zoomed around the track, I skated slowly, trying to warm up...I felt tight, and hot licks of pain radiated from my hip. Breathe, I told myself, just breathe. To this day, I don't know how I found the strength to compete. When I got to the starting line, surrounded by great athletes, I just rose to their level. I was in the zone, feeling no pain or doubt, and by the end of the day, I'd won the exhibition and everyone knew my name."
"I came back to Lake Placid after not making Juniors determined to improve. I really wanted to perform well and started pushing hard. I was hungry to win."
"Number one. In less than a year I made it to the top of short track, and was ranked number one on the U.S. Senior team."
By Rach
Of all things that I've learned in life; of all things I know true
Apolo has inspired me, so there's nothing I can't do
When I'm feeling down and out, as if I can't go on
I think of what Apolo said and all the pain is gone
When I feel I'm fighting for something that can't be done
I think of how Apolo worked and what Apolo won
Sometimes though I've tried my best, I know that I've been beat
Instead of fretting I recall how Apolo took defeat
And so I hold my head up high and gaze into the light
Thanking Apolo for all he's done to help me in this fight
